Inkjet Nozzle Maintenance via Solvent Circulation and Pressure Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Inkjet printers face printing errors due to ink solidification in the nozzle, which existing cap-based solutions do not fully address, leading to continued issues with viscosity increase and evaporation of moisture or volatile components.
Innovation Solution
An image forming device with a system comprising a first tank, a second tank, a pump, an air valve, a maintenance mechanism, and a control unit that manages ink circulation and pressure to prevent solidification by excluding solidified ink from the nozzle and using a solvent to lower viscosity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a cap is installed in the inkjet head to cover the nozzle, then moisture or volatile component evaporation is suppressed and ink viscosity increase is reduced, but ink solidification still occurs in the nozzle causing printing errors
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing maintenance operations before printing occurs. The maintenance mechanism proactively removes solidified ink from the nozzle through solvent application and mechanical cleaning, preventing solidification-related printing errors before they can occur during actual printing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a solvent as an intermediary substance to address ink solidification. The solvent is applied to the nozzle to dissolve and remove solidified ink, acting as a mediating agent between the solidified ink and the printing system, thereby restoring proper nozzle function without requiring structural changes to the nozzle itself.
2Productivity
If the ink circulation system is activated to transport ink from the first tank to the second tank, then ink supply is maintained, but pressure increase in the second tank may cause ink discharge issues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback control through the sensor that monitors ink level in the second tank. When the sensor detects that ink has been discharged to a predetermined level, it signals the control unit to stop the pump, thereby preventing excessive pressure accumulation and ink discharge issues while maintaining continuous printing capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively suppresses printing errors caused by solidified ink by circulating ink, increasing pressure, and using a solvent to remove solidified ink, thereby maintaining print quality and preventing nozzle damage.
Implementation Method 1
a first pump that is in the first path and transports the ink accommodated in the first tank to the second tank
Implementation Method 2
an air valve that is opened to release the second tank to the atmosphere and is closed to block the second tank from the atmosphere
Implementation Method 3
a maintenance mechanism that excludes solidified ink present in the nozzle from the nozzle
Data Source
AI summary
In a stand-by state, when an instruction unit issues the printing instruction, a control unit is switched in a maintenance state, in the maintenance state, the control unit closes an air valve and operates a first pump, and when a sensor detects that the ink of a second tank is reduced by discharging the ink from a nozzle by the pressure of a second tank, the control unit opens the air valve to be switched in a printing state, and when a predetermined time elapses after an operation of the first pump before the sensor detects the reduction of the ink of the second tank, the control unit excludes the solidified ink from the nozzle, and in the printing state, the control unit is switched in the stand-by state when the ink is discharged from the nozzle of the head based on a printing instruction.